Redshank, Tureluur, Rotschenkel, Perna-vermelha-comum, Achibebe Común
Spotted in the Alentejo region of Portugal. Redshank sound
The Common Redshank or simply Redshank (Tringa totanus) is an Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae.
More photos at the bottom of this page.
Common Redshanks in breeding plumage are a marbled brown color, slightly lighter below. In winter plumage they become somewhat lighter-toned and less patterned, being rather plain greyish-brown above and whitish below. They have red legs and a black-tipped red bill, and show white up the back and on the wings in flight.
The Spotted Redshank (T. erythropus), which breeds in the Arctic, has a longer bill and legs; it is almost entirely black in breeding plumage and very pale in winter. It is not a particularly close relative of the Common Redshank, but rather belongs to a high-latitude lineage of largish shanks. T. totanus on the other hand is closely related to the Marsh Sandpiper (T. stagnatilis), and closer still to the small Wood Sandpiper (T. glareola). The ancestors of the latter and the Common Redshank seem to have diverged around the Miocene-Pliocene boundary, about 5-6 million years ago. These three subarctic- to temperate-region species form a group of smallish shanks with have red or yellowish legs, and in breeding plumage are generally a subdued light brown above with some darker mottling, and have somewhat diffuse small brownish spots on the breast and neck.
It is a widespread breeding bird across temperate Eurasia. It is a migratory species, wintering on coasts around the Mediterranean, on the Atlantic coast of Europe from Great Britain southwards, and in South Asia. They are uncommon vagrants outside these areas; on Palau in Micronesia for example, the species was recorded in the mid-1970s and in 2000.
They are wary and noisy birds which will alert everything else with their loud piping call. Like most waders, they feed on small invertebrates. Redshanks will nest in any wetland, from damp meadows to saltmarsh, often at high densities. They lay 3-5 eggs.
The Common Redshank is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
It is widely distributed and quite plentiful in some regions, and thus not considered a threatened species by the IUCN.
Other synonyms:
Afrikaans: Rooipootruiter
Asturian: Chibibí, Mazaricu Rial, Chibibí
Azerbaijani: Otluq cüllütü
Breton: Ar strelleg pavioù ruz, Strelleg
Catalan: Cama-roja, Gamba roja vulgar, Picarot
Catalan (Balears): Cama-roja
Valencian: Picarot
Czech: Vodouš rudonohý
Welsh: Coesgoch, Goesgoch, Pibydd coesgoch, Pibydd goesgoch, Troedgoch
Danish: Rødben
German: Gambettwasserlaüfer, Rotschenkel
English: Common Redshank, Iceland Redshank, Lesser Redshank, Redshank
Esperanto: ru^gkrura tringo, Ru?krura tringo
Spanish: Archibebe Comun, Archibebe Común
Estonian: Punajalg-tilder
Basque: Bernagorri arrunt, Bernagorri arrunta, Gamba roja vulgar
Finnish: Punajalkaviklo
Faroese: Stelkur
French: Chevalier gambette
Frisian: Tsjirk
Irish: Cosdeargán, Ladhrán deargchosach, Ladhrán trá
Gaelic: Cam-Ghlas, Feadag, Maor-Cladaich
Galician: Bilurico patirrubio, Gamba roja vulgar
Manx: Goblan Marrey, Gollan marrey
Hindi: Kottan
Croatian: Crvenonoga Prutka
Hungarian: Piroslábú cankó
Indonesian: Trinil kaki-merah
Icelandic: Stelkur
Italian: Pettegola
Japanese: akaashishigi, Akaashi-shigi, Aka-gane shigi
Cornish: Gar ruth
Latin: Totanus totanus, Tringa totanus
Lithuanian: Raudonkojis tulikas
Malay: Kedidi Kaki Merah
Maltese: Pluverott
Dutch: Tureluur
Norwegian: Rødstilk
Polish: Brodziec krwawodziob, Brodziec krwawodzioby, Brodziec sniady
Portuguese: maçarico-de-perna-vermelha, perna vermelha, Perna-vermelha, Perna-vermelha-comum
Portuguese (Brazil): Maçarico-de-perna-vermelha
Romansh: Trintga cotschna
Scots: Cam ghlas, Feadag
Northern Sami: Ruksesjuolcoavzzu
Slovak: Kalužiak ?ervenonohý
Slovenian: rdecenogi martinec
Albanian: Qyrylyku këmbëqirizë
Serbian: crvenonogi prudnik
Swedish: Rödbena
Swahili: Chamchanga Miguu-hina
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